5Q. Doctor Who - Meglos (Season Eighteen)

Script Editor: Christopher H. Bidmead; Writers: John Flanagan and Andrew McCulloch; Produced by: John Nathan-Turner; Director: Terence Dudley; Designer: Philip Lindley; Incidental Music: Paddy Kingsland (1) and Peter Howell (2-4);

Programme Description

The Doctor is invited by the leader of Tigella, Zastor, to visit the planet because there is concern between the religious Deons and the scientific Savants. The TARDIS is intercepted by Meglos, the megalomaniacal last survivor from the planet Zolfa-Thura.

The TARDIS is trapped in a time loop, although the Doctor manages to break free. Meglos uses the stolen body of an Earthling and transforms himself into a duplicate of the Doctor.

Disguised as the Doctor Meglos steals the Tigellans' power source - a mysterious dodecahedron. Meglos plans to use the dodecahedron to power an apocalyptic device which would be used to destroy Tigella.

The Doctor is hindered by the Gaztak, hired by mercenaries, but manages to succeed in tampering with the dodecahedron, and the resulting explosion destroys Meglos.


Regular Cast

Voice of K-9: John Leeson; Romana: Lalla Ward;

Cast

General Grugger: Bill Fraser; Lieutenant Brotadac: Frederick Treves; Zastor: Edward Underdown; Lexa: Jacqueline Hill; Caris: Colette Gleeson; Deedrix: Crawford Logan; Earthling: Christopher Owen; Tigellan Guard: Simon Shaw;
Uncredited:
Meglos:
Tom Baker, Christopher Owen; Gaztacs: Tony Allef, Bruce Callender, Hi Ching, John Holland, James Muir, Ranjit Nakara; Tigellans: Michael Gordon Browne, Harry Fielder, Pater Gates Fleming, Laurie Goode, Geoff Whitestone; Ceremonial Guards: Michael Brydon (4), David Cleeve (4); Savants: (all 2) Howard Barnes, David Cole, Stephen Kane, John Laing; Lexa's Deons: all 1,3,4) Terence Creasey, Ray Knight, Chris Marks, Eddie Sommer; Deon Elders: (all 1,3,4) Lewis Hooper, Sylvia Mariott, Stephen Nagy;

Transmissions

Ep.TitleDateViewersPosition
530.Part One (BBC 1) Sat 27/09/1980 18:15 - 18:40 5.0M105th
531.Part Two (BBC 1) Sat 04/10/1980 18:15 - 18:40 4.2M139th
532.Part Three (BBC 1) Sat 11/10/1980 17:45 - 18:10 4.7M129th
533.Part Four (BBC 1) Sat 18/10/1980 17:40 - 18:05 4.7M127th

Repeat Transmissions

This programme has not been repeated

Bloopers

This programme has no bloopers / mistakes. It's probably not perfect, just that they haven't been found / pointed out

Locations

This programme has not been filmed on location or the locations are unknown

Studios

Television Centre Studio 3; Television Centre Studio 6;

Notes / Trivia

This story is notable for the appearance of Jacqueline Hill, some seventeen years after she played one of the first companions, Barbara Wright.

Working Titles

This programme has no working titles

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